The evergreen cherry laurel with its attractively colored foliage is one of the most popular hedge plants. Easy to cut and fast-growing, it forms dense privacy hedges in a very short time. You can get over 25 different species on the market, which have the same requirements in terms of location and substrate, but differ in growth, shape and color of the leaves.
Common varieties of laurel cherry
This article gives you a rough overview of the most commonly offered species, their growth and specific characteristics:
Upright laurel (Prunus laurocerasus Herbergii)
This robust variety is vigorous and grows two to three meters in height. It is considered to be extremely hardy, fast-growing and also thrives in rough areas. Because of these characteristics, the upright cherry laurel is one of the most common species found in our gardens.
Cherry Laurel Caucasia (Prunus laurocerasus Caucasica)
Fast-growing variety with very nicely shaped, narrow leaves that can grow up to four meters tall. Extremely robust and hardy, this cherry laurel is particularly suitable for hedge planting.
Large-leaved cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus Rotundifolia)
In contrast to the two previous species, this laurel cherry is quite sensitive to frost and should only be planted in sheltered places. The foliage is noticeably broader than that of other species, although not rounded as the Latin name would suggest. Rotundfolia reaches heights of growth of up to three meters.
Cherry Laurel Novita (Prunus laurocerasus Novita)
The foliage of this cherry laurel resembles that of the Rotundifolia variety. However, Novita is much more frost hardy. This strong-growing laurel cherry reaches heights of up to three meters, tolerates pruning well and is therefore ideal for planting hedges.
Wide-growing laurel cherry Otto Luyken (Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken')
In contrast to other species, this cherry laurel grows broadly bushy and densely branched. It reaches heights of growth of up to 1.50 meters and then only gets wider. Well tolerated by pruning, it is very well suited as a shrub that protects unsightly garden corners or the compost from view.
Cherry Laurel Etna (Punus laurocerasus Etna)
Very fast-growing with annual growth rates of up to forty centimetres. It grows up to two meters tall and forms very dense hedges thanks to its rich branching. Good pruning tolerance and hardy.
Portuguese laurel (Prunus angustifolia Lusitanica)
In contrast to other species, the Portuguese laurel cherry has relatively narrow leaves. Extremely hardy, it is not only suitable as a plant, but also as an attractive solitary shrub with growth heights of over ten meters.
Van Nes laurel (Prunus laurocerasus Van Nes)
This laurel cherry grows dense and bushy up to two meters high. It forms a particularly large number of flowers, grows densely and compactly and is very frost hardy.
tips and tricks
Which variety of cherry laurel you choose for your garden should be selected based on the location, the soil conditions and the desired growth height. In addition to the common species mentioned in this article, there are other varieties such as the dark-leaved cherry laurel Schipkaensis that have specific properties such as industrial hardiness or resistance to shotgun disease.
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